William h



Nrrn 'a'rns A'IENT rricn.

BRICK-KILN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,054, dated June 10,1884.

Application filed August 17, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM H. DE VALIN, a citizen'of the UnitedStates, residing at San Rafael, Marin county, State of California, havemade and invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Brick-Kilns; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention relates to improvements in brick-kilns for continuousburning. As 110w constructed ,these kilns are composed of a number ofseparate compartments or chambers, from each one of which the bricks canbe drawn independently of the others as soon as its charge is properlyburned.

My improvements, as hereinafter more particularly described, consist ina means of handling and conducting the heat, vapors, and other productsof combustion from one chamber into any one or several of the otherchambers, as required, whereby in cooling off I am enabled to draw offthe steam and heated gases from one chamber into any'other chamber, toutilize, instead of allowing these products to pass off and run to wastethrough the chimney. By means of these improved constructions andarrangement of fines, furnaces, and dampers, any one of the chambers canbe cut out from the others of the series and its contents cooled anddrawn off without interfering with the operation of the others. Thesteam and vapors from one chamber can be conducted'also into any otherone of the series at will.

The following description fully explains the manner in which I proceedto construct, apply, use, and operate my invention, the ac; companyingdrawings being referred to, by letters and figuresthat is to say:

Figure l is aperspective View of a kiln constructed according to myinvention, a portion of the side wall and floor being broken away toexpose the interior. Fig; 2 is a transverse vertical section through thecenter of two opposing chambers and the common flue. Fig. 3 is avertical section taken longitudinally through one of the fire-places orfurnaces in the chamber. Figs. 4, 5, 6 are details of the dampers forcontrolling the different fines and passages.

each chamber with the adjoining one.

In my improved construction of kiln each chamber has its own furnace.These are shown at B B B B B B &c., Fig. 1, and the chamhers with whichthey are connected are seen at AA A A, &c. Two sets of chambers arearranged on both sides of a common fiue, G, and each chamber isconnected with it through an outlet, controlled by a valve, h. Thefurnaces B B, &c., are built on top of the kiln and communicatewith theinterior of the chamber through passage I, leading downward back of thebridge-wall j. The course of the heat and products from the fire is downthrough the inlet I into the burning-chambers A, A, &c., and out throughthe discharge opening 9 into the fine. The valves or damp ers h-areoperated on the top of the kiln by means of rods H, as shown. In thebottom of each chamber there is formed an open flue,

K. These are connected together by branchi passages L L, that lead fromopen pits m, located outside the side walls, and form the communicationof the fines with these pits. Every two chambers A A, 850., are thusconnected by the line of open flues K, passages L, and pits m. The endchamber A of one row of series is connected with the chamber A, or thefirst of the series on the other side, through the flue N, the passageP, and the pit m. The tops of these pits are open, and when in operationthey are closed by covers andluted with clay. They are also fitted withcut-off plates or dampers R,-Fig. 6, which are provided to slide intothe pit and cut off communication between the passageL L, leading fromone chamber, and the corresponding passage leading from the other sideof the pit to the next chamber. \Vhen all are placed in position, theyshut of connection of They are constructed of a metal plate, R, havingprojections r to receive and hold a coating of clay to protect it fromheat, and a handle, r, for placing and drawing it out of the pits. Bydrawing out one of these platesand clos' ing the pit with a cover, onechamber can be put into communication with the adjoining one. In asimilar manner I provide connecting-flues at the top of the chambersthrough out the entire number; but in this construcposition over theapertures S t.

tion I arrange for leading off the heat and ya por from any one ormore'chambers, and delivering these products into any particular chamberwhether near to or distant from such discharging-chamber. This consistsof a main fine, S, carried along in the top of the kiln one to eachserieswith short independent fines T at each chamber leading out throughthe top or roof and opening into the chamber. The arrangement of thesefines is plainly shown in Fig. 1, where the tops of several chambers areseen in section. The outlets t of these fines are closed by platesproperly luted or sealed, excepting where it is required to bring onechamber in connection with the dischargeflue S. For this purpose a coveror damper, V, of novel form is provided, the construction andapplication of which are seen in Figs. 2, 4, andb. It is made ofsuitable size to fit into thechannel or depression m in the roof andaround the outlet t t, and it is provided with a central partition, o,and cutoff plates or partitions w w on one side, and a single plate, 00,on the opposite side. It is used in one position or the other, accordingto the service required of it. Then this cover V is placed over thisoutlet, with the double partitions w w turned down, the outlets will beclosed and cut off one from the other, and nothing can pass through thefines; but by reversing the cover V the other side will bring either ofthe outletst into connection with the mouth of the fine S, according tothe way in which the cover is set, whether with the partition to theright or to the left. In this last position the partition rests on thedividing-ledge between'the apertures S t, and the inclosed space in thecover forms the connectingpassage between the two fines S t. There aretwo of the fines t in each chamber, one leading from the interior space,A, and the other from the damper-pit m to the outlet, back to thefurnace, and thus by means of these two fines the heat and gases fromthe chamber can be con-' ducted into another chamber, or they can bedirected into the furnace to increase the combustion. The interior ofone chamber can be connected with any one of the other chambers bysimply fixing these covers V in the required In like manner the vaporsof several chambers can be directed into the central fine, S, and socarried along to any other chamber of the series. This arrangement ofthe fines at one side of the kiln is the counterpart of those at theother side.

In constructing such a kiln I make the chambers A A of separate archedcompartments, with the arches running transversely, as in Figs. 1 and 2;or I form a continuous arched roof,and then divide the space intochambers by walls, transverse walls, or partitions. The generalarrangement of the chimney-fine G and the other fines and conduits isthe same in both constructions. The furnaces, however, are placed alongthe roof, with their fronts toward the center in the last-mentionedconremoved it is charged again.

baked, the doors a a are closed and sealed. 75

The damper-plates R are placed in the pits m and sealed. Fire is thenstarted-say at the first furnace Aand the chamber being connected withthe chimney-fine G, by raising the damper h. the steam is carried offfrom the drying material into the chimney. WVhen the material in thefirst chamber is sufficiently dried, the damper h is closed and thedamper of the next chamber is opened at the same time; also the plate R,separating the flnes between the two chambers, is raised and the pitsealed by the covering-plate. The draft of the first chamber is thentaken through the second one, so that while the material in the firstchamber is being raised to the required temperature its heat is utilizedto dry the material in the'second chamber. As soon as the operation ofburning is finished in two or more chambers, their fines tare connectedwith the main fine S by means of the covers, and the other chambercontaining nnburnt material; or the vapors and gases are directed intothe furnace through the fine t to assist the combustion in the furnace.The finished chambers thus cooling off into the unfinished ones assistin drying the material therein. This operation is repeated as eachchamber is finished, and when a number are obtained the first one isopened, and after its contents are In this manner the operation is madecontinuous, and the heat from the furnace is economically andeffectively utilized and distributed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a burning-kiln, the chambers A A, &c., each pair being connectedwith a separate furnace, a common chimney-fine, G, outlets g, for thechambers, and valves or dampers h,and connections beneath the chamberwith means for controlling them, as set forth.

2. In a burning-kiln, the combination,with a series of burning-chambers,of a principal outlet fine or conduit, S,fiues t t at each chamber, anda removable cap or cover, as V, provided with division-plates forseparating or connecting said. fines and conduit, as desired,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination ,with the burning-chambers A A, of the fines K,damper-pits m,connecting-passages L L, and removable dampers R, providedwith means for holding a coating of clay on each side, substantially asset forth.

4. In a kiln for burning brick and other ma- 95 fiue S is then connectedwith the flue t of an-,

teriai, a burning-chamber, as-A, having flue g, I 6. The combination ofthe flues for connectleading to the chimney, and a furnace, as B, 011ing the chambers at the bottoms of the dampt0p,and communicatingwiththeinterior of the er 0r stopper R, provided with the curved V chamberthrough a flue, as I, substantially as wings r a" on the sides, to holda coating of 5 set forth. clay, as set forth.

5. The combination with the conduit S and fines t t of cover V, prdvidedwith center plate, WILLIAM DE VALIN' o, and a division-plate, w, on oneside and \Vitnesses: two division-plates, w w, on the other, sub- J. L.TAGGARD, 1o stantially as set forth. E. E. OsBoRN.

